Prime Minister and Leader of the National Party, the Rt Hon Bill English was elected to leadership late last year and now holds the title of the 39th Prime Minister of New Zealand.

Born in Lumsden as one of 12 children, Bill studied both Commerce at the University of Otago and English Literature at Victoria University. After spending several years working as an analyst for the New Zealand Treasury in his early 20s, he returned to Dipton to work on the family farm, eventually being elected into parliament in 1990. He became the deputy Prime Minister in 2006, and became the Minister of Finance in 2008, a position he held until his promotion into leadership.

The Rt Hon Bill English met his wife Mary, a GP, at University and they have six children together.